Semaphore switch-stand.



No. 866,872. PATENTED SEPT. 24,1907. M. w. LONG.

SEMAPHORE SWITCH STAND.

APPLICATION FILED FEB. 14, 1907'.

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M. W. LONG. SEMAPHORE SWITCH STAND.

APPLICATION FILED FEB. 14, 1907.

3 SHEETS-45313111 2 Br gal/f TUB m Qxgg WITNESSES:

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PATENTED SEPT. 24, 1907.

No. 866,872- I M. W'. LONG.

SEMAPHORE SWITCH STAND.

APPLICATION FILED FEB. 14, 1907.

3 SHEETS-SHEET 3 M II rm k IN VE N TOR WITNESSES. 5 1

co, WASHINGTON. u. c.

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

MALCOLM W. LONG, OF HARRISBURG, PENNSYLVANIA, ASSIGNOR TO THE PENNSYLVANIA STEEL COMPANY, OF PHILADELPHIA, PENNSYLVANIA, A CORPORATION OF PENNSYL- VANIA. a a

SEMAPHORETSWITCH-STAND.

N 0. 866,872. Specification of Letters Patent. Patented Sept. 24, 1907.

Application filed February 14, 1907. Serial No. 357,262.

To all whom it may concern: the upper end of the tube, 15, extends the hub, 16,

Be it known that I, MALCOLM W. LONG, a citizen of of a horizontal planetary gear, 17, through which hub the United States, and a resident of Harrisburg, and gear said signal shaft, 10, extends, and is free to Dauphin county, State of Pennsylvania, have invented rotate. The said hub, 16 is secured to the upper end certain new and useful Improvements in Semaphore of said tube, 15,by means of screws, 18, passing through 60 Switch-Stands, of which the following is a full, clear, said tube (and a reinforcing collar, 19, thereon) and and exact description, reference being had to the acinto said hub, as seen in Fig. 4. companying drawings, of which Secured to the signal shaft, 10, by means of a through Figure 1 is an elevation, looking toward the track, pin, 20, is a casing, 21, in which is journaled a horiof a switch-stand in which my invention is embodied, zontal shaft, 22, carrying a planetary gear, 23, whose 65 the parts being in the position in which the switch is teeth engage those of the planetary gear 17. Said set for the main line, the target and semaphore so indicasing also incloses said planetary gears, preventing eating. Fig. 2 is an end elevation of Fig. 1, that i access of dirt or dust thereto. A semaphore blade, 24, looking in the direction parallel with the track. Fig. is mounted upon said horizontal shaft, 22, said blade 3 is a view similar to Fig. 2, but showing the parts in being secured to a bifurcated yoke, 25, whose limbs, 26, 70 position in which the lever-arm has been thrown over are fitted on squared end-extensions of said shaft, 22, to the opposite horizontal position, to set the switch beyond the casing, 21, being secured in place by nuts, for the siding, the horizontal position of the semaphore 27, screwed upon the outer ends of said shaft. The so indicating. Fig. 4 is a vertical section partially in signal shaft, 10, is also provided with a target, 28, se-

elevation, of the upper end of the signal shaft, and its cured to an arm, 29, extending from and secured to 75 incasing tube, showing the mechanism for operating said shait 1 the semaphore blade. Fig. 5 is a horizontal section as Having n w briefly described the construction of on the ine rv-iv Fig. g. 6 is a SCtiOH On t line my invention, I shall proceed with the description of :URJ, Fig. 4. Fig. 7 is a vertical section through the the operation thereof. I 0

switch-stand, and the lower portion of the signal shaft The parts being in the positions shown in Figs. 1 and 80 and its inclosing case. 2; that is, the switch set for the main line, so that This invention relates to improvements in switchwhen looking. down the trackway toward the switch stands, more particularly to that class of WitChthe semaphore blade, 24, is in the downward position, stands in which the signal is operated at the upper hidden behind the tube, 15, and the target, 28 pre- 30 end of a vertical signal shaft rotated by the operation sented toward the observer; if, now, the operating 85 of the stand. lever, 3, be thrown from the horizontal position illus- The immediate object of this invention is to protrated in said Figs. 1 and 2, to the opposite position; vide such a stand with asemaphore blade which shall that is, that shown in Fig. 3; to set the switch for the be operated by the rotation of said vertical signal shaft, siding, the operation is as follows:The movement of when the switch-stand is operated. said lever-arm, 3, rotates the shaft, 2, through an are 90 The switch-stand proper illustrated in the drawings of 180 degrees, and the pinion, 4, of said shaft rotates is of a type well known upon the market as the New the segment gear, 5, through an arc of 90 degrees; Century switch-stand, and comprises a casing, 1, in thereby through the crank shaft, 6, and its connections which is journaled a horizontal shaft, 2, provided at with the switch operating the latter. The vertical 40 its outer end with an operating weighted lever-arm, 3, signal shaft, 10, is also rotated degrees, thereby and on its inner end with a beveled pinion, 4, engaging causing the casing, .21 (which, it will be remembered, a segment gear, 5, secured to a vertical crank shaft, 6, is secured to said shaft) and the parts carried thereby, which is journaled in said casing, 1 and is provided, at to rotate, and during such rotation of the gear case, 21, its lower end with the usual crank, 7, connected by a the planetary gear, 23, is caused, by the stationary 45 bar, 8, with the switch, in the well known manner. planetary gear, 17, which is supported upon the tube,

Extending upwardly through the casing, 1, is a hub 15, to rotate on its axis, thereby rotating the horizontal extension, 9 from the segment gear 5, which hub shaft, 22, upon which said gear, 23, is mounted. The extension has, extending thereinto, the lower end of planetary gears, 23 and 17, are so proportioned that a vertical signal shaft, 10, the parts being secured the rotation of the signal shaft, 10, through an arc of 50 together by bolts, 11, or other suitable means. 90 degrees will cause said shaft 22 to rotate through a Mounted upon the casing, 1, is a tubular housing, slightly less angle to bring the semaphore blade which 12, bolted to said casing by bolts, 13, and extending is carried by said shaft, 22, from the downward position from the top of said housing, 12, being screwed into of Fig. 1 to the horizontal position of Figs. 3and 4, at the upper end thereof and held in place by a jam nut, the same time presenting said semaphore blade, 24,

55 14, ineasing said signal shaft, 10, is a tube, 15. Within at right angles to the track. This rotation of the signal shaft, 10, also carries the target, 28, from the position of Fig. 2 to that of Fig. 3, in which latter position it is presented edgewise to the observer. These latter relative positions of the target and semaphore indicate to a person coming down the track that the switch is set for the siding.

I would usually provide the top of the signal shaft 10, with a lamp-post, 29, upon which a lamp signal may be mounted for night service.

I remark that in practice I make the gear case, 21 of two parts divided horizontally on the line of the center of the shaft, 22, as seen in Figs. 4 and 5, said parts being secured together by means of bolts, 30.

The housing, 12, serves as a convenient support into which the lower end of the tube, 15, may be screwed, and said housing and tube, 15, not only serves to inclose the signal shalt, 10, thereby keeping dirt, &c. therefrom, but said tube also serves as a support for the stationary planetary gear, 17.

In assembling the apparatus, alter the parts have been connected together, the tube, 15, is rotated in the upper part of the housing, 12, until the semaphore and target are brought to the proper position with relation to the track, and the switch setting; whereupon the jam-nut, l4, secures said tube immovably in said position of adjustment.

Having thus described my invention, I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent:

1. In a semaphore switch-stand. the combination of s\\'itch'operating means, a casing inclosing the same, a tubular, vertical extension supported upon said casing, a vertical shaft within said tubular extension, and whose lower end is connected to said switch-operating means, a planetary gear secured to the upper end of said tubular ex tension, a horizontal shaft carried by said vertical shaft, a planetary" gear on said horizontal shaft whose teeth engage those of said first mentioned gear, together with a semaphore blade carried by said horizontal shaft, substantially as and for the purpose set forth.

In a semaphore swiiclrstand, the combination of switch-operating means. a casing inclosing the same, a tubular, vertical extension supported upon said casing, a vertical shaft within said tubular extension, and whose lower end is connected to said switclroperating means, a planetary gear secured to the upper end of said tubular extension, :1 gear-case carried by and secured to said vertical shaft and incasing -iid planetary gear, a horizontal shaft journalcd in said c: ing': a planetary gear upon said shaft within said casing, and whose teeth engage those of the first mentioned gear, together with a semaphore blade carried by said horizontal shaft, substantially as and for the purpose set forth.

3. In a semaphore switch-stand, the combination of switclroperating means, a casing inclosing the same, a tubular, vertical extension supported upon said casing, a vertical shaft within said tubular extensirin, and whose lower end is connected to said swil'clroperatii'lg means, a planetary gear secured to the upper end of said tubular cxtension, a horizontal shaft carried by said vertical shaft, a planetary gear on said horizontal shaft whose teeth engage those of said first mentioned gear, together with a semaphore blade carried by said horizontal shaft, and the target disk secured to said vertical shaft in suitable relation to said semaphore blade, substantially as and for the purpose set forth.

4. In a semaphore switclrstand, the combination of switch'operating means, a casing inclosing the same, a tubular. vertical extension supported upon said casing, a vertical shaft within said tubular extension, and whose lower end is connected to said switclroperating means, the planetary gear having the downwardly extending hub portion fixed to the upper end of said tubular extension, and

through which hub and gear the said vertical shaft extends and is free to rotate, the horizontal shaft carried by said vertical shaft, a planetary gear on said horizontal shaft whose teeth engage those of said first mentioned gear, together with a semaphore blade carried by said horizontal shaft, substantially as and for the purpose set forth.

In a semaphore switch-stand, the combination of switch-operating means, a casing inclosing the same, a tubular, vertical extension supported upon said casing, a vertical shaft within said tubular extension, and whose lower end is connected to said switch-operating means, the planetary gear having the downwardly extending hub portion fixed to the upper end of said tubular extension, and through which hub and gear the said vertical shaft extends and is free to rotate, a gear case carried by and secured to said vertical shaft and ineasing said planetary gear, a

horizontal shaft journaled in said casing, a planetary' gear upon said shaft within said casing and whose teeth engage those of the first mentioned gear, together with a semaphore blade carried by said horizontal shaft, substantially as and for the purpose set forth.

0. In a semaphore switch-stand the combination of a lower casing, an upwardly projecting tubular extension secured thereto, switch-operating means in said lower casing, a shaft extending through said tubular extension and operatively connected with the switch-operating means, a closed gear-box carried by said shaft, a semaphore sup ported on the exterior of said gear box, a stationary gear carried by said tubular extension, and operating mechanism between said gear and said semaphore whereby rotation of said shaft will cause said semaphore to be raised and lowered, substantially as and for the purpose set forth.

7. In a semaphore switch stand the combination of switch-operating means, a casing inclosing the same, a tubular, vertical extension supported upon said casing and whose lower end is rotatively secured thereto, means for.

securing said tubular extension in any position of rotative adjustment with relation to said casing, a vertical shaft within said tubular extension and whose lower end is connected to said switch-operating means, a planetary gear secured to the upper end of said tubular extension, a hori-' zontal shaft carried by said vertical shaft, a planetary gear on said horizontal shaft whose teeth engage those of the first mentioned gear, together with a semaphore blade carried by said horizontal shaft, substantially as and for the purpose set forth.

8. In a semaphore switch-stand the combination of switclroperating means, a casing inclosing the same, a tubular vertical extension supported upon said casing and whose lower end is screwed thereinto, a jam nut securing said extension in any position of rotative adjustment, a vertical shaft within said tubular extension, and whose lower end is connected to said switclroperating means, a planetary gear secured to the upper end of said tubular extension, a horizontal shaft carried by said vertical shaft, a planetary gear on said horizontal shaft whose teeth engage those of said first mentioned gear, together with a semaphore blade carried by said horizontal shaft, substantially as and for the purpose set forth.

9. In a semaphore switch-stand, the combination of switch-operating means, a casing inclosing the same, a tubular housing extending from and secured to said casing, the vertical tube whose lower end is screwed into the upper end of said tubular housing, the jam nut securing said tube in any position of rotative adjustment, the vertical shaft within said tubular extension and Whose lower end is connected to said switch-operating means, a planetary gear secured to the upper end of said tubular extension, 21 horizontal shaft carried by said vertical shaft, a planetary gear on said horizontal shaft whose teeth engage those of said first mentioned gear, together with a semaphore blade carried by said horizontal shaft, substantially as and for the purpose set forth In testimony whereof, I have hereunto afiixed my signature.

MALCOLM '\V. LONG.

Witnesses WM. M. HENDERSON, WM. R. MILLER. 

